1988 Chevrolet Nova

The 1988 Chevrolet Nova wore styling that had been introduced on the 1985 Nova. The Nova nameplate had laid dormant since 1979, and when it reappeared in the spring of 1984, it was now a front-wheel drive subcompact vehicle that would continue in production through 1988.

Production
The styling and construction were the result of a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota of Japan, with assembly in Fremont, California, by NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.). Owned by both GM and Toyota, NUMMI operated from 1984 to April 2010.

1986: 167,749 units including 124,961 sedans
1987: 150,006 including 123,782 sedans
1988: 109,133 including 90,563 sedans

Nova S-Car
The Corolla-based Nova was referred to as the S-car within GM and was a mildly restyled and rebadged Japanese market Toyota Sprinter, a model sold in Japan as a badge-engineered version of the Toyota Corolla. The Nova was based on the Corolla's AE82 platform with a wheelbase size of 95.7 inches, a length of 166.3 inches, a width of 64.4 inches, and a height of 52.8 inches. Mounted at the front was a 1.6 liter (98 cubic-inch) four-cylinder engine and was paired with a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission. The carbureted 1.6-liter engine produced 74 horsepower. By 1974, the three-speed automatic was dropped and replaced by a four-speed automatic.

Initially, the 'fifth generation' Nova was sold as a four-door three-box, notchback sedan body style with quad headlights, the latter being a feature it shared with other GM models including the Cavalier. A five-door hatchback joined the lineup shortly after production commenced.

The big news for 1988 was the addition of the Chevrolet Nova Twin-Cam, a sporty model that came equipped with a Toyota-built 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with double-overhead camshafts. This engine had previously powered the Toyota FX-16, a performance version of the Corolla. This engine offered 36 more horsepower than the single-cam version, and was rated at 110 horsepower. Like other Novas, it came standard with a five-speed manual transmission.

The Twin-Cam version had fuel injection, four-wheel disc brakes, sport suspension, power steering, wider tires on aluminum wheels, a leather-covered steering wheel, and a tachometer. All Nova Twin-Cams received a black metallic exterior with a grey interior. They were sold solely as a sedan; no hatchback version was offered.

The base 1988 Chevy Nova was priced at around $8,800, while the Twin-Cam listed for $11,395. The Twin Cam was unsuccessful at finding many buyers, and approximately 3,300 examples were built.

Standard amenities bestowed upon the 1988 Chevy Nova included an AM/FM stereo radio, rear window defogger, and rear shoulder belts.

When the Nova was discontinued at the end of the 1988 model year, Chevrolet filled the void with the Prizm from the new Geo division.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2025